Bengaluru: A wild tusker yesterday attacked and killed a senior Indian Forest Service officer in a thickly forested area in the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, officials said.

Forest officials said the incident took place at Tatigundi Kere in the D.B. Kuppe range near Kakanakote at about 1:30 pm.

The officer, S.Manikandan, who was the field director of Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, had gone to the area to assess damage caused by a “mild” fire in the region the previous evening.

Principal chief conservator of forest Punati Sridhar said Manikandan was accompanied by other forest officials.

After getting down from the jeep, they had walked for a while when the elephant attacked them from behind. While others managed to escape, Manikandan was attacked by the elephant and trampled to death. He was taken to a government hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, Sridhar said.

“He was a good officer, who was committed to the conservation of forest. He was posted as the field director of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve two years ago,” he said.